Live Like A Stoic: A Do Over on A Weekly Exercises on Being Stoic

In my previous two posts, I have mentioned this interesting exercise book on Stoicism. The book is entitled Live Like A Stoic: 52 Exercises for Cultivating A Good Life authored by Massimo Piguliucci and Gregory Lopez.

From the title, one can deduce that there is a designated exercise per week. And the exercises – when done accordingly – will be completed within a year.

The reader – rather, the participant – does not only reflect on the philosophy of Stoicism, but actually practicing to be one. I for one, would like to proactively study this ancient school of thought and put them into practice in my daily life.

I have already attempted to do the first week exercise last week, but this time, I want to do them properly. So here I am, writing a proper introduction.

I could have done a different study

What could you do differently?

In one of my previous blog post, Thinking about those years I spent in Utrecht University, I have mentioned that the years I spent in the university are some of the happiest memories in life. And yet at the same time, I am wondering from time to time, what would have happened should I have chosen a different path.

Let us be honest, an academic education does not always guarantee suitable employment. I am quite lucky, because I managed to secure a career I love although it is still beneath the education I have attained. And I know a lot of people who are academically educated who are currently un employed.

Sometimes, I wonder: what if I have learned a useful trade instead? I could have been rich maybe. Or maybe not.

But you know what, earning money was not my motivation why i went to the university. I went there to enrich my mind and cultural capital.

Writing Letters

Writing is an integral part of a Stoic life. Great ancient Stoics like Marcus Aurelius and Seneca used writing as a way of daily reflections. Thanks to their writing that have been handed down to us, we can learn so much from ancient Stoicism.

One of the many books that guided me in my Stoic quest is John Sellars’ book entitled Lessons in Stoicism: What Ancient Philosophers Teach Us about How to Live. In this book Sellars writes:

Marcus Aurelius describes practices of morning reflection during which he prepares himself for the coming day, contemplating the sorts of challenges he is likely to face so that he will be better placed to handle them. Similarly, Seneca outlines a process of evening reflection during which he goes over his day, thinking about what he did well, where his attention may have slipped, and how he might do better tomorrow.

John sellers 2020: 20-21

Being Vegan on Lenten Season: Squash and Lentils in Indian Spices

In my previous post, Vegan Challenge: Being Stoic on Lent, I mentioned that I have embarked myself on a challenge this Lent. During Lent this year, I will eat less meat. My diet will more plant based. The Lent is a good opportunity to put the philosophy of Stoicism into practice.

One of the many vegan dishes that I love is the squash and lentils in Indian spices. This dish is inspired by Indian cuisine. The herbs that I uses are indian curry, cumin, turmeric, paprika powder, and cilantro powder. The combinations of these herbs are just so aromatic and delicious.

This dish is so delicious as such that I do not miss meat. And not to miss meat for somebody who is carnivorous as myself is quite something. So you can imagine how delicious this dish is. With this dish, I do not mind to be a vegan.

Vegan Challenge: Being Stoic on Lent

The Lent is a a good opportunity to practice Stoicism. This year, I will observe lent, not because I am a religious person, but because I want to become a better Stoic. I have embarked myself into a challenge: to abstain from eating meat as much as possible.

For a person like myself who loves to eat meat, abstaining from eating meat can be a real challenge. And besides, it is not really about abstaining to eat meat, but more on eating a plan based diet.

What you see in the photograph is a vegan dish from Thailand. I love Thai food a lot! It is stir fried vegetables in chili sauce. The ingredients are cucumber, bell peppers, tomato, pineapples, onion, cashew nuts, and my favourite Tofu. This dish is delicious and nutritious.

The Happiness From Learning New Things

Better late than never. I am late in so many things in my life. Learning how to swim is one of them. I am now in my 40s and I have just started to take swimming more seriously.

When I told a friend that I cannot swim, he told me that the swimming centre in the city where we live offers swimming lessons for adults. He also took swimming lessons there as an adult.

I am grateful for that information. After a while, I enrolled myself. And I started my swimming lessons last December.

Counting The Last Hours of 2022

Photo by Tairon Fernandez on Pexels.com

There is something so special about the last day of our calendar – or any calendars for that matter. At least in my case, it gives me an illusion that something is about to end and something is about to begin.

And by illusion, I do not mean in a negative sense, but to simply acknowledge that time is a concept. The Gregorian Calendar that we are using is after all not universal. The Chinese Calendar for instance has a different new year than ours. Other cultures do not have the year of our Lord 2022.

Furthermore, I do not see time as a linear progression that has beginning point (1st of january) and ending point (31st of March). But of course, we cannot travel back in time. At least, not yet.

Time for me is continuous and circular. There is nothing so special about the 31st of December and the 1st of January. They are just days like any other days. The 1st of January is just a continuation of the day before.

The Belcher Method: Writing 10 Minutes a day

While still in graduate school and writing my research project, I encountered a workbook entitled Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success, authored by Wendy Laura Belcher. Belcher is a professor of African literature at Princeton University. Her book has changed my relationship and thus my experience with writing.

The Belcher method – as I’d like to call it – aims to make writing an integral part of one’s daily life by writing 10 minutes a day. As Belcher succinctly puts it: ‘If one does not write on a regular basis, one will get better at not writing’ (2009:5).

By writing 10 minutes a day, we do not only put our work at the front and centre of our minds, but it will also save us from fatigue, stress, and dread when writing for long hours a day. No matter how busy we are, we always have 10 minutes a day that we can allocate for writing.

My New Obsession: Isabel Allende Novels

Isabel Allende’s body of work was already in my reading list for quite a while. And since I started reading her work, I immediately became a fan. I am inspired by the stories she tells and I am so impressed on ways in which they tell them. She writes he prose beautifully.

Her works are originally written in Spanish. Unfortunately, because I do not speak Spanish, I am unable to read her work in the language it is originally written. Maybe someday, I will take it upon myself to learn Spanish and to read her works in Spanish.

On this beautiful evening…

Time flies. The weekend is almost over. Just one more sleep and a new week at work will begin. While I love my job, I sometimes find my self dreading Mondays.

I usually ceremoniously end my weekend by going outside and walk my dog. As I walk my dog, I think about how the two days have passed. I often ask myself whether I have used them wisely.

As I walk outside with my dog tonight, I have been distracted by such a beautiful sight you see in the photograph above. It was such a beautiful evening. It makes me so aware of how the day gives way for the night.